Search for tag: "jesus"

Dr Sara Parks introduces an important group in Second Temple Judaism. This group, whose most famous member is probably Paul, is seemingly familiar from the Christian scriptures – but they…

Why are Christians interested in the End of the World once again? Michael Burdett argues that the rise in interest in eschatology is linked to our current concern with the future – forced on us…

Dr Sara Parks looks at what resurrection meant within Second Temple Judaism in order to shed light on what was at stake in resurrection discourse among early Jesus movements. The thumbnail for this…

Dr Marian Kelsey examines how the memories of the Hebrew Bible are structured, using the memory of the patriarch Jacob as an example. The thumbnail image for this video is used under the CC0 licence…

Professor Alison Milbank argues that Gothic novels – for example, Dracula by Bram Stoker – are part of religious discourse. This discourse arose in the aftermath of the Reformation and…

Dr Michael Burdett introduces constructive theology and argues that ‘systematics’ – that one can make a coherent statement about the whole of Christian faith – is back in…

Dr Marian Kelsey answers the age-old question; "Why Study Theology?" with an argument that Biblical Studies is actually far more interesting than Theology! The image used in the thumbnail…

Dr Tim Hutchings describes his research into the new phenomenon of on-line churches and, with Thomas O’Loughlin, discusses what this phenomenon means for the traditional understanding of…

In 1917, at the height of the First World War, F.B. MacNutt edited a collection of 17 essays entitled The Church in the Furnace. These essays were written by Anglican army chaplains who reflected on…

‘Woodbine Willie’ – the Anglican World War I padre who gave cigarettes to the troops and wrote poetry - is well known. But the man himself, G.A. Studdert-Kennedy is not nearly so…

Dr Stuart Bell argues that the early twentieth-century Anglican writer, G.A. Studdert-Kennedy (better known as ‘Woodbine Willie’), is the first modern British theologian in that he…

Dr Sara Parks introduces the text that lies behind the gospels of Matthew and Luke – to which we give the name ‘Q’. In turn, this allows her to study what this text says about women…

Prof. Richard Bell looks at a work of Richard Wagner (1813-83) that never reached the operatic stage. In the late 1840s, Wagner was planning an opera on the life of Jesus but, while still far…

Dr Sara Parks introduces the text that lies behind the gospels of Matthew and Luke – to which we give the name ‘Q’. This notion of Q was put forward to explain a literary problem:…

Prof. Thomas O’Loughlin discusses with Dr Sara Parks the origins of the Christian notion of a ‘gospel’ and how it moved from being a political notion in the Roman Empire, to being a…

Every two years the University of Nottingham appoints an eminent theologian to deliver the Firth Lectures which comprise of two public lectures (since 2012 these are available on YouTube) and a…

In this video, John Barclay, the Firth Lecturer for 2018, presented a fresh reading of grace and gift in Paul's theology – and especially what is found in 2 Corinthians. This shows us that…

In his book, Paul and the Gift (2015) John Barclay presented a fresh reading of grace and gift in Paul's theology, studying it in view of ancient notions of ‘gift’ and shining new…

Despite the passing of 500 years, the ideas of the Reformation are still exerting their influence on theology today. So argues Dr Simeon Zahl in this video where he notes that while these ideas are…

How has the memory of the Reformation been an important element is the creation of English identity? In this video, Prof. Frances Knight argues that for an older generation – perhaps brought up…

How ever remember the past is related to how we see what is happening in our present. In this video Dr David Gehring – of Nottingham’s Department of History – looks at how our…

The reformers were faced with many challenges, but one that is often forgotten was the need to justify their actions historically. How did it come about that the church needed reform? To what image…

Dr Simeon Zahl explores what are the distinctive characteristics of Protestant theology. In years gone by this would have been expressed as the proposition ‘it is acceptance of the doctrine of…

Famous to the British soldiers of the Great War as ‘Woodbine Willie,’ the Revd G.A. Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929) is also a great forgotten theologian. In this video, Dr Stuart Bell…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses how the experience of the war had a long lasting affect on Christian…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses the experience of one man from Derbyshire in the Great War and how…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses the myths that grew up about the Great War and religion.

Kevin McGinnell and Tom O’Loughlin discuss the challenge of creating an incarnational liturgy fifty years after the close of the Second Vatican Council.

Dealing with the body of someone who has died – generically referred to as ‘disposal’ – is a crucial intersection of social custom, religious practices, human ritual,…

Kevin McGinnell and Tom O’Loughlin discuss the complexity of how liturgy is perceived / received / celebrated in contemporary multi-ethnic urban Britain. An underlying assumption of most…

Prof. Frances Knight, an expert on the religious history of the late nineteenth century, examines the religious dimension of the cultural movements we associate with the term ‘Fin de…

Walter Walsh (1857-1931) published a book called The Secret History of the Oxford Movement in 1897. The book is examined in this video by Prof. Frances Knight, an expert on the religious history of…

Martin Luther (1483-1546) is the most famous of the sixteenth-century reformers who began his attach on the practices of the Catholic Church five centuries ago in 1517. Here Dr Simeon Zahl looks at…

There are many definitions of theology and in this video Dr Simeon Zahl shared his view of what he does as a theologian and why he thinks it important. He sees himself as engaging in a formal manner…

The Eucharist is a central ritual of Christians, and a central to that ritual is the use of a cup of wine for which thanks have been offered to God. But what is often forgotten is that in this…

Footwashing has been part of the ritual inheritance of Christians since at least the time John composed his gospel, but it has also been a much misunderstood and avoided ritual. Here Thomas…

Until very recently the standard model for assessing the place of religion in the Enlightenment was one of simple opposition: Religion represented the superstition and darkness that the rational…

Professor Jeremy Gregory examines the case that the history of religion is as close as we can get to ‘total history’: looking at all aspects of individuals in societies in the past in…

Professor William Kay, one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians, introduces a striking, and often controversial, feature of Pentecostalism: its emphasis on healing and the way it…

Dr Francisca Rumsey looks at the importance of liturgy in Christianity. She takes her starting point on its importance the fact that human beings are ritual animals. We constantly communicate with…

Dr Doug Ingram and Dr Peter Watts look at one short and enigmatic biblical text: the Book of Ecclesiates – sometimes also called Qoheleth – and at the questions is poses not only to…

Dr Doug Ingram and Dr Peter Watts look at the value of studying that diverse library of books that go to make up the Old Testament. This has a value as an exploration of people quite apart from its…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines what is meant by the word ‘codex’ and how this was the characteristic book-form in early Christianity.Other entries in the A-Z of Theology playlist…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin how the Catholic Church understands the historic phrase extra ecclesiam nulla salus. McDonald argues that it must not be understood…

Conor Cunningham looks at the intimate connection between Goodness, Truth, and Beauty as these are studied by theologians. Together these are known as the transcendentals because they are…

Conor Cunningham introduces one of the great movements in twentieth-century philosophy – phenomenology – which is playing an ever more significant role in theology today. He dos this by…

Conor Cunningham introduces the work of the French philosopher Michel Henry (1922-2002) and the contribution that he made to theology. Henry’s work, he argues, can be seen as an attempt to draw…

Augustine was born in Roman North Africa in 354 and died as Bishop of Hippo, also in North Africa, in 430. He was one of the most prolific Christian writers of all time and all western Christian…

Anyone who has heard of the Marriage Feast at Cana (Gospel of John 2:1-11) has heard of ‘the six stone jars, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty…

Prof. Roland Deines explores the ways that the study of ancient Galilee, around the time of Jesus, can throw light on the historical Jesus and the origins of his movement as we hear of it in the…

Dr Conor Cunningham tells the story of the ways we can look at an apple. A piece of fruit, a quick healthy snack, but also the starting point for a more involved understanding of the universe and why…

Plutarch (A.D. 46 – c. 120), from Chaeronea in Boeotia, was one of the most prolific Greek writers of antiquity and his work is exactly contemporaneous with the period of the earliest writings…

Plutarch (A.D. 46 – after 120), from Chaeronea in Boeotia, was one of the most prolific Greek writers of antiquity and his work is exactly contemporaneous with the period of the earliest…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin the significance of the Roman Catholic statement on that church’s view of other religions, and especially how the Catholic…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin introduces the document known in studies of the gospel as “Q”. Q refers to the material that is common to the gospels of Matthew and Luke (apart from the…

Professor Tom O’Loughlin points out a complexity in the use of the word ‘eucharist.’ It is usually thought of as just a technical name for a ritual – the ritual practiced…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word ‘disciple’ in early Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology Other videos you may wish to watch include; Why Study...the…

Monsignor Kevin McGinnell discusses with Professor Tom O’Loughlin one of the most remarkable, but least remarked upon, developments among Christian churches working together in recent decades:…

Professor Tom O'Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word, 'apocrypha' in Christian discourse - and how it can never be used in a neutral sense.

Professor Tom O'Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word 'agrapha' in Christian discourse. Another video you want want to watch is; Why Study Jesus Christ with Roland Deines…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word ‘apostle’ in Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology

Professor William Kay, one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians, discusses the origins of Pentecostalism at the end of the nineteenth century with Dr Frances Knight. He describes how…

Prof. Richard Bell introduces the life and thought of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). The video gives an account of his epistemology – and how he was influenced by Kant – as a basis for…

Professor William Kay, one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians, introduces what is distinctive about Pentecostalism in comparison with other forms of Christianity. He points out that…

Professor Roland Deines looks at the notion of ‘salvation history’ (Heilsgeschichte) as a theme in theology that can be found throughout the bible. It is the notion that humanity stands…

Dr Mary Cunningham explores what we know of Arius of Alexandria (d. 336) and his theology. Born in North Africa, he was a presbyter of the church of Alexandria and a very popular preacher. His…

Professor Tom O’Loughlin looks at the name ‘Jesus Christ.’ Most people think this is just a forename-plus-surname and hence we speak of ‘what Christ said’ or the…

Professor William Kay, one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians, gives his vision of the importance of theology. It is concerned with ‘thinking logically about God’ and…

Dr John McDade explores Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) notion of a ‘ladder of cruelty’ within the development of religion. McDade argues that this is, in some way, a secular…

Dr David Monkton looks at the place of the Eucharist in Methodism from the time the Wesley’s in the eighteenth century until. He does this by taking us through one of the eucharistic hymns of…

Dr David Monkton looks at how there has been a renewal of Eucharistic understanding in contemporary Methodism. This has come about from a variety of sources such as a rediscovery of Methodism’s…

Christians use a vast library of Jewish writings from the time before Jesus in their worship, reflection, and study – and they call this library ‘the Old Testament.’ In this video…

Professor Johannes Hoff – from Heythrop College in London – gave the 2013 Bonaventure lecture and proposed the case that modern theology needs to radically re-examine its assumptions…

In all human quests for understanding - be they religious, theological, philosophical, or literary - the intertwined themes of love and death keep returning to challenge us. It is an endless…

Dr John McDade looks at what is meant by the terms ‘Catholicism’ and ‘the Catholic Church’ – and argues that one should see Christianity as ‘Reconfigured…

Many people, whether they are Christians or not, think they know what the gospels contain, the kind of documents they are, and their purpose. This seminar argues that these are more complex questions…

Rogationtide is the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday: it was, and to some extent still is, a time when God’s blessing was asked upon the springtime and the work in the…

Lammas – from ‘Loaf Mass’ – is the original harvest thanksgiving feast when the first loaf, baked from the newly harvested grain, was presented in the local church. Because it…

Most of the time of most humans for most of history has been spent obtaining and preparing food for our survival. So for theists, food is both the gift of God and the work of human hands, and each…

In a world where we think of work as being a Monday to Friday affair, where food comes from a shop, and where ‘work’ and ‘religion’ belong in separate compartments, a festival…

Dr Rob Lutton introduces an important aspect of contemporary historical studies: the study of religion as a force that shapes lives. Religion, like it or loathe it, has not disappeared from the human…

All the documents of Christianity - such as those that are found in the collection known as 'the New Testament' - were written in the common Koine Greek language of the Mediterranean world.…

Dr Dominic Erdozain argues that when one studies the words of Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) in the context of the religious life of seventeenth century Amsterdam and the people with whom he was in…

Dr. Peter Watts points out that embedded in many of the earliest Christian documents, such as the letters in the New Testament, there are pieces of poetry that were probably originally hymns sung by…

Dr. Peter Watts draws attention to the number of songs and hymns that can be found in the books of the Hebrew Bible. The most famous collection of these is the Book of Psalms, but there are many more…

The Firth Memorial Lectureship was founded by the Reverend John d'ewe Evelyn Firth in memory of his father, John Benjamin Firth, Historian of Nottingham and his mother Helena Gertrude Firth. The…

The Firth Memorial Lectureship was founded by the Reverend John d'ewe Evelyn Firth in memory of his father, John Benjamin Firth, Historian of Nottingham and his mother Helena Gertrude Firth. The…

Dr. Rob Lutton introduces the value to the historian of studying groups and individuals who were given the label of ‘heretics’ in the later middle ages. These groups point to diversity in…

Dr John McDade questions the nature of modern unbelief. He sees is as generated from within an approach to the question of God which grew up among Christian theologians in the early modern period. In…

Dr Peter Watts explores the range of approaches to the Bible that are encompassed in the term ‘biblical studies.’ He brings out that while the study of the Bible exists as part of…

Dr David Monkton gives an insight into the key elements of Methodist spirituality which he sees as a direct legacy of John Wesley (1703-1791) and concludes that there is no holiness that it not…

Professor Roland Deines looks at four ancient coins – all of them nearly 2000 years old – and shows how they provide a window into the world of Galilee and Judea in the time of Jesus. In…

Professor Richard Bell looks at how Paul viewed the significance of the death of Jesus Christ for himself, other Christians, and the whole of creation. Paul took over the notion of the sin-offering…